Self-Control and Addictive Behavior: Present Status and Prospects

Abstract

The application of self-control techniques to the treatment of obesity, smoking, and alcohol and drug abuse is reviewed. Although the literature suggests that there is considerable commonality in the etiological and maintaining factors of the addictive behaviors, self-control techniques have not been applied equally in treating these behaviors. It is hypothesized that this differential application of self-control procedures can be accounted for by an examination of three sets of variables: pharmacological properties of the substance abused, models of the behaviors under investigation, and social consequences of abusing a specific substance. It is suggested that if models of addictive behavior and the procedures that stem from these models are revised to take into account the range of internal and external stimuli that affect an individual's continued use of a substance, then maintenance and generalization of behavior change occurring during treatment would be more likely.